| Author | Message | ||
     Ramon |
Why does Buell want me (the consumer) to imagine the new "S" as a dirt tracker tuned for the street? Are dirt trackers great on Northern California twisties? | ||
| Blake |
One thing on the price point I will say. The XB9S should be priced slightly lower than the XB9R. I mean c'mon, no fairing has got to be cheaper. | ||
| Bamaben |
Having been a Bueller since 1996 I have noticed a few tendencies with Buell. They tend to make motors with lower hp numbers for a year or so and then they bump them up. This hasn't happened every year but it does happen, and I believe it will happen again. This is the first year for the new motor. It's not all that some of us hoped for in the motor department but for some of us it is ok. I for one wish that it did have a little more oomph but I am willing to wait and see. My X1 isn't going anywhere. I can still enjoy it while Buell is developing the bike I want. I believe it will happen. If not, then that XB9S sure looks good. Having to have patience sucks but I think it will be worth the wait. They are exspensive bikes so I'm not willing to jump on a new one just yet. In fact we don't have any here in B'ham Alabama to jump on. I hope this will change someday soon. I haven't posted anyhting in a couple of years so I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. The new XB's look great and I believe they are a good start. The only question is, is Buell going to take it to another level. I believe the answer is yes but it will take some time. I've just fallen off my soap box. Ben | ||
| Captlusk |
I was wondering about the ergonomics of the Firebolt for bigger guys. I'm 6'2 and 210lbs. Am I to big to be comfortable on this bike? How big are the current Firebolt owners here on the board? | ||
| Jdbuellx1 |
Xgecko, Thanks for the pic, that I would buy or build myself and call it XB9RS. It looks just plain mean! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Captlusk... I am 6'2" and 220lb, and long legged (see my deals gap trip report for shots of me making my Cyclone look little), and sat on a firebolt (but did not get to ride it). It was a perfect fit, which was amazing for such a small looking bike. | ||
| Rodman |
Captlusk... I also am 6' 2" , 228lbs and 36" inseam, I haven't ridden but did try one at a show and it felt compact but not uncomfortable for the type of bike it is. One thing I appreciate about the Buells up to now has been the ergo's. They fit me well , seem like they were made for bigger people.(Anybody know how tall Mr. Buell is?) I hope the "S" model has that "old" feel to it. There is way to many bikes out there already that don't fit anybody over 5' 10" . | ||
| Chainsaw |
Captlusk 5'9", 175, 32 inch inseam. An inch lower on the Firebolt seat wouldn't hurt my feelings any! It's easier for me to hop off the bike to park it than try to roll it backwards whilst straddled across it. My right knee-leg-thigh gets pretty warm from the exhaust, and there is a lot more weight on my wrists than I'm use to (my other bike is a Sportster), but I LOVE THIS BIKE!  | ||
| Gravedigger |
Blake, I couldn't agree more, This is just what I do not understand about this bike. same bike minus plastic should equal same price minus price of plastic. What is the consumer getting extra for that extra cost savings to the company on the plastic? Keith | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Dry weights vs. Wet weights You can't run a bike without all its fluids, so why LIE by using this number. EVERYBODY should publish the full running weight. If they want to publish two weights, one with the tank full and one with the tank empty that's fine, but don't omit the weight of engine oil, fork fluid, brake fluid, battery, etc. If I didn't count my blood and other fluids, I would weigh 50 pounds!
You forgot the end of that sentence: Buell builds sport bikes using Harley CRUISER engines.... This hasn't changed, the XB engines will also be used in the next Sportster. Hopefuly rubber mounted. Ramon,
Dirt Trackers are great everywhere except maybe at 90 mph+ on an interstate. Unless you're tucked in like Jay Springsteen holding the front fork with your left hand. Yes, the handlebars and seating position give you more/better control when the road gets real twisty and bumpy. I think people will probably find the XB9S a little too twitchy compared to the R, because the handlebars give you much more leverage over the front end than the 9R's clipons and the seating position takes weight off the front end. But that same twitchness will probably mean that the same rider will probably be able to go faster around a Battletrax course on the S than on the R. MikeY will probably be the first to find this out. We'll see what people say after they demo ride the bikes back to back. Josh, It's the Bags! I get the same thing "is that a BMW?" when I have the bags on the bike. The next struggle is how to pronounce the name: :BUUUUEl, BUEEEEEL, how do you say that?" | ||
| Gravedigger |
like I stated earlier. you might as well buy the bolt, sell the plastic, use money to purchase the small headlight fairing and use the rest of the money to buy performance mods. | ||
| Mikej |
Without knowing the price breakdown of the components, it's really hard to tell what you're paying for. The tail extension on the S coupled with the flyscreen and headlights might equal the mfgr cost of the fairing and headlights on the R. I don't know, and you're probably all right, but there may be more to the story than just "less plastic should cost less". Okay, I'm done. MikeJ (Wondering if an "S" will show up at B-Trax on Saturday in Thiensville???  ) | ||
| Josh |
José, I haven't had any one try to pronounce it yet. If they're that close, they read the name, look at me and ask what it is. uhm, duh, doesn't it say right there? Or do you think that's a sponsor?  'Course the only thing that gets me is when Mariabelen is out on her bike I don't get looks or questions no matter what I'm riding. Josh 99 S3T 96 Hugger 00 Blast | ||
| Srl |
A couple of comments; Usually outsiders think my X1 is an Italian bike. They start off thinking Duc (because that's probably the only "I" bike they have heard of), then they try to pronounce it Bu-ell. I have walked up on people talking, one telling the other about it being Italian even while looking at the American Motorcycles tank badge. Never confused with German bikes because everyone knows German bikes have those thingys pointing out each side. I was just out at Laguna, at the track if you walked past the bike parking areas it looked like a large dealership all the exact same bikes. If you parked in the Honda club parking it would take you 20 minutes to find your bike all the same boring bike and all the same boring color (HMC red) The few XB9Rs I saw could be picked out like they had a spotlight on them, all the Buells for that matter (which of these objects is not like the rest.) I kind of like that and I think there is some value to not having the flavor of the month. (Be like all your friends and express your individuality.) Interesting down at Cannery Row on Sat the only bikes that stood out from the masses were the Bostrom/Bayless Ducs, the Me900 Ducs, the MV Agusta, a Bimoto, and the XB9R! Pretty good company I'd say. I have several bikes from several brands some worth more some worth less but none stir more emotion. | ||
| Darthane |
Captlusk, I am 5'11" and about 135lbs with a 34" inseam. My 'bolt fits me perfectly. One of my friends who's about 6'3" and 220 sat on, didn't ride it, but complained about being cramped just the same. If I lean over the tank at speed I can rest my elbows on my knees, though. LOL Bryan | ||
| Lake_Bueller |
Getting in a little late here. But better late than never. 1) I wouldn't consider Buell's to be an "exotic". There more of a "specialty" bike (IMHO). 2) Buell has a history of over charging for their new models. The MSRP on my 1998 S3T was almost $14,000 with the PM rims. For that price, I could have bought a Ducati ST4!!! A new S3T today sells for under $9500. Am I bitter? Not really. Would I do it again? Not really. 3) I rode a 'bolt this past weekend. Mixed reviews. The 'bolt is VERY light and tight (especially compared to my S3T). It definately lacked in the power department (again comparing to the S3T). Would I buy one? Probably not. If has to spend $10K on a "specialty" bike, it would be the Triumph Daytona 955. That's my $.02 worth of BS for today. | ||
| Blake |
"the XB engines will also be used in the next Sportster. Hopefuly rubber mounted." Uh-oh, Buellstradamus may end his impressive streak of accurate prognostication. But I ain't betting against him. However. In this case I'd say HD would be using a Buell engine. JQ, I know you are routing for a Blast derived dirt tracker style model; so am I, but I'm surprised you haven't layed claim to the marketing verbage for the XB9S that mentions "a dirt-tracker tuned to tame the street." | ||
| José_Quiñones |
Well yes, you are right in the sense that the engine "premiered" on the Buell first, then the Sporty. Speaking of sporty owners, how long have they been waiting for a "major" upgrade? 1986? Imagine a new Sporty, using a V-Rod looking Hydroformed frame, rubber mounted XL9R engine, using the old X1 inverted forks and wheels. That would look pretty cool. Buell used the dirt track analogy when the original 1996 S1 was introduced, I have some magazine reviews for the bike that mention its "dirt tracker ergonomics". So they claimed it before I ever came up with it. For street riding, "Dirt Track" ergonomics, which are basically the same as "standard" ergonomics, are hard to beat. | ||
| Eeeeek |
I was ready for the Ducati wet thing. Add gas to 404 lbs and it's still lighter. Of course, it's about double the price with three times the maintenance... | ||
| Rick_A |
Great...and I bet people won't be calling a Sportster a Buell even though it has a Buell engine. My Buell often gets mistaken for a Duc...some people have gone as far as insisting it is, like I don't know! The Harley purists scoff that it's a crotch rocket, and the rest ask if it's the sportbike Harley makes. An extremely small percentage actually say "so that's a Buell??" That's always a pleasant change. Funny how some of the features of these machines get nothing but praise from some...and from others quite the opposite. At a stop on a group ride yesterday I was talking about what porting could do for my bike in terms of power, and one rider commented, "like you need more power." Yes, properly flogged, the Buell can appear to be quite the beast.  Most everyone loves it, though. The comments I get are mainly either "that thing is mean" or "that thing looks angry" and everyone wants to hear it. That is irrelevant however, 'cause it's my baby and I care not what the nay-sayers have to blow out their asses. | ||
| Loki |
It is fun to watch all those heads craning to see what is thundering around them. They look right past ya , looking for the HD. Then realize its you.... and for some reason most think you are rolling in money to have one...... | ||
| Blake |
"I was ready for the Ducati wet thing. Add gas to 404 lbs and it's still lighter." The "R" version yes. The standard 998 though? Now consider the effect of replacing the heavy steel XB9 stock muffler setup with a lightweight slip-on. How about a set of magnesium wheels. Stuff of which the Duc 998R makes good use. | ||
| Court |
it was more than just "dirt track". The S1 looks like different bikes from different angles. That is not by mistake. | ||
| Eeeeek |
Blake, The original comparison was vs the bike Ducati races. They race the "R." Also, didn't I read somewhere that the bolt's front wheel is suuuuuuper light? Again, apples to oranges. The Ducati is a Race Bike; hardly a fair comparison. | ||
| Matty |
You are correct Court, and it's even more apparent in the XB9S. If yáll look for awhile you will see elements from all the Buell models, but most prominently the Blast, X1, and S1. | ||
| Blake |
I bet the duc factory racers are quite a bit lighter than even the "R" version. The XB's front wheel is light. Made from magnesium it would be even lighter right? I like peaches. | ||
| Anonymous |
Movin' to the country Gonna eat me a lotta peaches | ||
| Rick_A |
I've been looking at pics on the Buell site lately...I know I said it was ugly before...but it's been growing on me...the 9S...not because of what it is, but what it could be turned into. I see tons of potential; she's a blank canvas. Sure, the XB's aren't all that light...but it makes sense that they should feel much lighter because of how low the mass is kept on the chassis compared to other Buells or even most other sportbikes. | ||
| Darthane |
The Firebolt doesn't feel a pound heavier than my Blast. Bryan | ||
| Rick_A |
Dealer says they're gettin' 'em in November. Any one else hear likewise? |
